Mousetrap



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466,102

c. J. PROCTOR MOUSETRAP Filed Aug. 21. 1922 INVENTUR Patented Aug. as,1923.

a" ares f ti.

luousn rsar- Application filed August 21, 1922. sci-mine. 583,351.

To all 107mm it oimgz concern Be it known that I, CLIFToN J. PRooToR, ofHolmesville, in the county of Huron, Province of Ontario, Canada, asubject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Mousetraps, of which" the following is aspecification.

This invention'relates to traps of the type in which aspring-actuatedbail-shaped jaw is hinged on a base and is held in theraised set position by suitable trigger mechanism, and my object is todevise simple means whereby the jaw may be raised and the trig ger setwithout it being necessary to touch either of these parts.

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter describedand illus' trated in the accompanying drawings in which- I Fig. 1 is afront elevation of myimproved mouse trap; a

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

.3 a side elevation, partly broken away, showing the trapset; I

Fig. 4' a similar view showing the trap in the set-off position;

Fig. 5 a plan view on an enlarged. scale showing the methodof supportingthe jaw, spring and setting member; and

Fig. 6 a longitudinal section of part of the trap.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

1 is the base, preferably of metal, having an upwardly extending framemember '2 formed on or secured thereto. This frame member is preferablyshaped as a guard to prevent animals approaching the bait pan 3 from therear. The

frame 2 at its lower end supports the spin dle 4 on which is journalledthe aw 5. This jaw is bail-shaped and has its endsbent to form the coils6 by means of which it is journalled on the spindle 4 and the rearwardlyextending arms 7 which are provided at their outer ends with the hooks8, which hooks are engaged by the sides of the bailshaped setting member9.

At one side the setting member is formed with an eye 10 through whichthe spindle 4 passes. At the other side of the trap, the side of thesetting member is bent and the portion 11 thereof extended alongside thespindle 4. towards the middle thereof. At

the center the portion 11 is bent to form the bail-shaped rockarm'12,the extreme end be-' 111g preferably formed as an eye 13encirclmg the spindle at. From this construction it follows that thebail-shaped setting mem- V ber'm'ay be rocked to raise the jaw to'theposition shown in Fig. 3, and thereafter when the jaw is held up ashereinafter described, the bail-shaped member may be returned to theinitial position shown inlFig. 4, as its sides are free to disengagethem- The aw is actuated a spring which. is

formed from a continuous pieceof wire bent to form the coils 30 locatedabout the spindle 4, the central bail-shaped arm 31 which engages thebase, and the two arms 32 ablyformed of wire and is pivoted at its upperend on lugs 14.- formed at the upper end selves from thehooks 8. V

of the frame 2. This catch isformed with A a shoulder 15 adapted toengage the jawas shown in Fig. 3,'an inclined portion 16 being formed infront of the shoulder so that the jaw may ride over the sameand engagethe shoulder. The catch is alsoforme'd with a depending finger 17-wh'ich extends down to a position for engagement with the trigger 18.The catoh is also preferably provided withthe upwardly extending finger19 engageable by the jaw after the jaw has passed the inclined portion16 *and the shoulder 15 to rock they catch to its jaw-engaging positionin case it fails to do so under the influence of gravity.

The lower end-of the finger L9 is preferably formed as a loop 20embracing the trigger. The trigger is pivoted on the lugs 21, preferablystampedup from the metal of the-base, and is provided at its under sidei with the shoulder 22 having a sloping back v adapted to be engaged bythe loop 2O to .rock the trigger so that the loop may engage in front ofthe shoulder 22. The baitpan 3 is preferably formed of channel sectionwith a hole 24 in its upper side to facilitate the baiting of the trap.

The bait pan is pivoted on the lugs 21. and is provided with a laterallyextending projection. This projection underlies and overlies the rockarm 12 of the setting member.

\ The mode of operation of the device is substantially as follows Thesetting mem her 9 normally occupies theposition shown in Fig. l, whenthe trap is set and retains this position when the trap is set off. Tset the trap the setting member 1s drawn down rearwardly and engages thehooks 8 on the arms 7, thus raising the jaw into engagement with theshoulder'lo of the catch as hereinbefore described. The loop at thelower end of thefinger 9 is rocked forward and raises the trigger,engaging in front of the shoulder 22 thereon as hereinbefore described.To enable the trigger to come to the position in which it may engage theloop 20,

This is effected by the engagement of the rock arm 12 with the arm 26which causes the end 28 of the arm 26 to engage the pro j ection 25'andthus lift the bait pan, which allows the trigger to drop to the positionshown in Fig. 3; It is then easily lifted by the loop 20 as the latteris swung forward.

It will be seen that after the trap is set, if the bait pan be depressedthe trigger will be lifted, the loop 20 disengaged and the catch allowedto rock: so that the jaw 5 will ride over the shoulder 22 and be swungdown 7 by the action of the spring 30.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a trap, the combination of a base;a spring-actuated jaw hinged thereon; a frame member extending upwardlyfrom the base; a catch pivoted thereon engageable by the jaw andprovidedwith a depending fin- 4 ger; a trigger pivoted on the base andadapted to be rocked by the finger to engage the the setting member mayrock the jaw to its set position, and means whereby the setting member,when moved to lift the jaw, raises the bait pan and thus lowers thetrigger to its finger. engaging position, said member extending upwardlyfrom the base;

a catch pivoted thereon directly engageably by the jaw and providedwitha depending finger; a trigger mechanism pivoted on the base adapted tobe rocked and engaged by the finger to releasably hold the catch in itsjaw engaging position; a setting member hinged on the base; and meanswhereby the setting member may rock the'jaw to its"set position,

41. In a trap,the combination of a base; a spring-actuated jaw hingedthereon; a frame member extending upwardlyfrom the base;

a catch pivoted; thereon engageable by the jaw and provided with adepending finger;

a triggerpivoted on the base and adapted tobe rocked by the finger toengage the finger toreleasably hold the catch in its jaw engagingposition; a pivoted bait pan tendmoved to lift the jaw, raises the: baitpan and thus lowers the trigger toits'finger engaging position, saidmeans permitting the said member to'return to its initial positionindependently of the bait pan.

5. In a trap, the combination of a base;

a spring actuated jaw hinged thereon; catch and trigger mechanism forreleasably holding the j awrin its set position the catch being'directly engageable by the jaw anda setting member adapted to rock thejaw to its set position and to directly engage and position the triggermechanism for engagement by the catch, the catch havinga part engageableby the jaw, when raised, to rock the catch to its trigger engagingposition.

Signed at Clinton this 31st day of July 1922.

. CLIFTON J. PROCTOR.

Witnesses j Lnwrs Pnoo'ron, CHARLES E. HALE.

